Walking Using Touch: Design and Preliminary Prototype of a Non-Invasive ETA for the Visually Impaired

Author

Velázquez, R. ; Pissaloux, E.E. ; Guinot, J.C. ; Maingreaud, F.

Author_Institution

Laboratoire de Robotique de Paris, Paris VI Univ.

fYear

2006

Firstpage

6821

Lastpage

6824

Abstract

This paper presents the design and preliminary prototype of the Intelligent Glasses, a novel non-invasive electronic travel aid (ETA) designed to assist the blind/visually impaired to navigate easily, safely and quickly among obstacles in indoor/outdoor 3D environments. The Intelligent Glasses, a joint project between the Robotics Laboratory of Paris (LRP) and the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), is based on a visuo-tactile system. Two mini-cameras mounted on the user´s eyeglasses frame detect the obstacles ahead the walking course and translate this information to a tactile display as a map representing where the obstacles are located in the scene. The user freely explores the tactile map and is able to follow it easily, demonstrating initial feasibility of the system

Keywords

display devices; handicapped aids; haptic interfaces; Intelligent Glasses; blind; electronic travel aid; eyeglasses; minicameras; noninvasive ETA; tactile display; touch; visually impaired; visuo-tactile system; walking; Acoustic devices; Displays; Glass; Intelligent robots; Laser feedback; Layout; Legged locomotion; Navigation; Prototypes; Time of arrival estimation; 3D environment; Electronic Travel Aid (ETA); obstacle detection; tactile map; visuo-tactile system;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 2005. IEEE-EMBS 2005. 27th Annual International Conference of the

Conference_Location

Shanghai

Print_ISBN

0-7803-8741-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IEMBS.2005.1616071

Filename

1616071